Sunday, September 19th, 2010

"Balloons"/"Super Inuit"

Holy Fuck covers Foals covers Holy Fuck

Young TurksAt first blush, neither Foals nor Holy Fuck have much in common with the other. One is an Oxford, UK-based post-punk outfit built on stabby guitars and tense vocals, the other is a Toronto, Canada-bred electronic-rock band based on squelching synths and no vocals. But both have been nominated for prestigious, astrologically-named awards in their respective countries, are likely to induce dancing – though while Holy Fuck can soundtrack proper grooving, Foals are more likely to induce nervous twitching – and the two toured the UK together back in 2007.

It was an experience which seemed positive enough that they released a now out-of-print split 12″ wherein each covered one of the others’ songs – Foals tackling the opening track from Holy Fuck’s debut LP and Holy Fuck transmuting one of the singles from Foals’ first record Antidotes. Neither sounds much like the original but sound pretty cool in their own right, and that’s really kind of the point, isn’t it?

Both Foals and Holy Fuck have released new records this year – Foals with Total Life Forever and Holy Fuck with Latin – and both are touringNorth America (though not together this time) and their paths will almost cross in Toronto next week – Foals are at Lee’s Palace on September 27 and Holy Fuck at the Phoenix on September 29. Red & Black has an interview with Holy Fuck.